


La Lavanderia

by MiriamFWIL



Category: The Old Guard (Movie 2020)
Genre: Alcohol, Alternate Universe - College/University, Drunkenness, F/F, F/M, Fluff, M/M, Misunderstandings, Modern Era, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-01
Updated: 2021-01-01
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:29:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 16,059
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28336980
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MiriamFWIL/pseuds/MiriamFWIL
Summary: On a frosty September night, Nicky goes down to his building’s laundry room after a long and exhausting day at university. What’s supposed to be a little quiet time alone changes into the start of something special, all because of the 3 strangers he finds down in the laundry room.
Relationships: Andy & Quynh & Booker & Nile & Joe & Nicky & Original Character(s), Andy | Andromache of Scythia/Quynh | Noriko, Booker | Sebastien le Livre/Nile Freeman, Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani/Nicky | Nicolò di Genova
Comments: 14
Kudos: 140
Collections: The Old Guard Mini Bang 2020





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story wouldn't be possible without the help of the fabulous [crediniaeth](https://archiveofourown.org/users/crediniaeth)
> 
> The amazing artwork is by [SSleif](https://www.archiveofourown.org/users/ssleif)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story wouldn't be possible without the help of the fabulous [crediniaeth](https://archiveofourown.org/users/crediniaeth)
> 
> The amazing artwork is by [SSleif](https://www.archiveofourown.org/users/ssleif)

It’s one of those cold September nights that makes Nicky hate himself for choosing to study in Sweden instead of Italy. Nights like these bode the start of winter, the start of a couple of very dark, very cold months this far up north. 

It’s entirely his own fault for going even further up north than where he spent most of his childhood. He wanted to get away from under his parents’ wing in Stockholm and he didn’t want to be at the same university as his brother Marti in _Genova_. It doesn’t change the fact that the cold winters in Umeå suck, especially when he has to leave his toasty dorm room to do his laundry. 

Dressed in two pairs of sweatpants, a sweater, a hoodie pulled over his head, and a set of fluffy boots, Nicky shuffles down to the frosty basement of his building with his laundry basket in tow. He knows he looks like crap. After a full day of classes, he walked in on his shitty roommate Albin and a random girl. They ended up having a huge argument over it. Nicky didn’t even have time for a proper meal because of two assignments he had to finish that were due tonight. Fair to say, he’s had a rough day and he looks like it. 

Nicky is almost happy that it’s laundry day; it gives him an excuse to leave his dorm, but not when the frost is already turning the grass white in the morning. The harsh fluorescent lighting hurts his eyes as he drops the basket on the ground in front of one of the empty machines. The floor is cold as he kneels down to load his laundry into it. He hears a conversation coming from the other side of the room, but hardly pays any attention to it until one specific word catches his attention:

“Genoa.”

It’s in an accent that doesn’t quite fit either native Swedish or Italian, though it’s closer to the latter. Nicky looks up over the door of the machine to see a small group of people he has never seen before, either in class or in his building. Soon enough it becomes clear to him by the complicated language they’re using, as well as why they mention Genoa: they’re engineering students discussing the new bridge in his hometown. 

Nicky has no clue why they’re doing laundry in his building, and at this point he doesn’t quite care. Within moments of noticing them, he loses all interest in that mystery and continues to load his dirty clothes into the washing machine. Someone laughs, and when Nicky pops up to see what’s funny, he sees the most beautiful man sitting on top of one of the washing machines. 

Immediately Nicky regrets coming down here looking like an absolute slob. The gorgeous man doesn’t even seem to notice the argument going on right in front of him, let alone anything else going on around him - he’s sketching. The tip of his tongue is poking out just a little from his lips and his brow furrows as he moves his pencil across the paper. 

It makes Nicky’s stomach tingle more than it should now that he is in his 20s.

Nicky doesn’t even notice he’s staring until the man with the unfamiliar accent turns around - only then does he notice the faint chime of one of the dryers finishing its cycle. In his panic, Nicky almost flings himself into the washing machine, adrenaline rushing through his veins. He bumps his head on the machine with a loud bang, making this horrendous ordeal complete. For a moment he hopes the small group doesn’t notice, but to his dismay their talking stops instantly.

A woman’s voice asks, “Are you okay?” 

Nicky looks up, hitting his head on the machine once again. This time he doesn’t even try to stay quiet and lets out a whole wave of Italian curses. He can just about hear his mother’s disappointed words, as if she’s right there beside him, her Swedish making way for Italian as she grows more displeased with him. _Nicolò di Genova. Your father and I raised you to be a respectable young man. This is no way to behave yourself in any situation, especially not around other people. It’s shameful._

Nicky rubs the back of his head where he hit the rim not once, but twice now, after finally clearing the edge of the washer. The three students are still looking at him. He looks up to answer the question, but instead a pair of warm, chocolate brown eyes catch his attention. Nicky’s mind is both racing and completely shutting down at the same time, all because of this handsome man with the kindest eyes he has ever seen. They almost make him forget that he still has to say something. 

It’s the man with the accent that pulls Nicky from his daze. “I think he might have a... fuck! What’s that word again? … _Traumatisme crânien_.”

“ _Si.Tutto bene_ ,” Nicky answers the woman’s question. He’s embarrassed and way too slow in answering, not even noticing he’s using his native Italian instead of Swedish.

The woman who asked the question laughs, her braids bouncing in the process. “Hey, Booker! Seems like you’re not the only Frenchman around.”

The man on the washing machine laughs as well. The sound of his laughter almost makes Nicky forget that they just called him a Frenchman. 

Almost. 

That being said, Nicky’s Italian pride is strong enough to cause a visceral reaction at this insinuation.

“ _Italian_ , thank you very much,” he bites back under his breath.

The group settles back into their argument, Booker, the Frenchman, clearly just as upset as Nicky about the remark, which gives Nicky some time to gather his thoughts. It also allows him to finally finish loading the washing machine in front of him, filling it up with just a little too much detergent and turning it on. 

Normally, Nicky would settle in a corner to read a book or watch a football game on his phone while he waits, but today isn’t a normal day. He can’t stay in the laundry room, but he can’t go back to his dorm either: Albin is still there with his girl. Nicky checks the time on the washing machine and sets an alarm on his phone before leaving, still not making a decision on his destination. On his way out, he manages to trip over the small step in the doorframe, because that’s just his luck. Instead of choosing one or the other, Nicky sinks down on the stairs between the main floor and his dorm room on the third floor. 

Nicky feels like such an idiot. _Why can’t I just behave like a normal person for once?_ Quynh would tell him to get over himself and turn on his charm, which would not be a problem if he was back in Italy. 

Maybe he just isn’t as eloquent in Swedish as he is in Italian? He can tell himself that, but he knows it’s a lie. He’s perfectly fluent in both languages, despite his clear accent in one of them. 

It’s none of that. It’s embarrassing to admit, but it somehow feels so much more real and personal chatting with a handsome guy _here_ than in Italy. Nicky still _feels_ Italian, he’s an unapologetically proud Italian man, but he grew up here and Sweden has become his home as well, maybe even more so than _Genova_ where he spends just a couple of weeks a year.

Nicky takes out his phone and opens his messages. He’s in desperate need of some advice. His thumbs linger above his screen, unsure what to do. Who could he ask advice from?

Quynh? No, she’d just give him the Tough Love lecture. 

His sister Allessandra? No, not with the baby. It’s too late and she needs her sleep. 

Marti?  Absolutely not. He always gives the worst advice imaginable, even if he means well. 

His parents? No, for obvious reasons.

Nicky almost resorts to messaging Robin, his ex-boyfriend turned best friend, but who asks for relationship advice from a person you used to date?

Defeated, he closes his phone and covers his face with his hands, sighing deeply.

He’s hopeless.

Nicky sits there for a while in the quiet, cold stairwell. When the motion lights go out, Nicky springs up to turn the lights back on. Checking his timer, there’s still over an hour and a half to go before he can put his laundry in the dryer. With no game tonight and his book at the bottom of his laundry basket, he doesn’t have many options on how to spend his time. 

He tries to read some articles for class on his phone, emphasis on _tries._ He keeps getting distracted by those kind eyes when his mind begins to wander. After reading the same paragraph six times without remembering one word of what it says, he stops. Instead, Nicky opens Netflix and starts the next episode of possibly the cheesiest Italian telenovela ever. It always helps to get his mind off of whatever’s going on in his life. The familiar intro tune blasts through his phone’s tiny speakers, causing Nicky to frantically turn down the volume until it’s barely audible. The series manages to distract him a little, but it doesn’t take away the discomfort that nestles deep inside his stomach. 

There’s one thing that he can do to ease this feeling: he can go back in and talk to _him_ , but that’s out of the question. Undoubtedly, he’ll make an even bigger fool out of himself in front of the most beautiful man he has ever encountered, so Nicky resolves to stay right there, come what may. 

With 15 minutes left on his timer, Nicky suddenly hears voices coming his way from the basement. At first the voices are too far away to understand, but he is soon able to recognise them as the students from the laundry room. He recognises the French accent first, then the voice of the woman. 

“... No way! Lightning would so kick the Flash’s ass!” 

“Kick his ass? Seriously, Nile? If he wasn’t such a pacifist, he’d be the mightiest superhero of all, Superman be damned. Haven’t you learned anything from our physics classes?”

Nicky hears someone laugh. Not just a laugh, but the one that makes Nicky’s heart skip a beat - that has to be the beautiful mystery man. “That kinda means she would kick his ass, Booker.” 

His voice is melodic and even more enchanting than his laugh.

“Ha! Joe agrees with me, so that’s two against one!” 

A displeased grunt from the Frenchman fills the air as they reach the echo-ey main hall. 

“Come on, Booker. We still love you, despite your bad reasoning.”

There’s some more displeased grunting, as well as some French that he doesn’t quite grasp, but he gets the gist of it.

“Let me buy you a drink as an apology,” the newly named Mystery Man says, clearly trying to get back into Booker’s good graces. Nicky wishes the man would buy _him_ a drink. Instead, he sits out of sight, eavesdropping on the group of friends. 

“Better not be trying to chat me up, Joe. You haven’t taken anyone home lately.” 

Booker’s comment makes all three of them laugh. Their conversation starts to become harder to hear as they near the outdoor entrance.

“Not true. I took Noora home not that long ago,” Joe protests, still laughing.

“That doesn’t count. Not at all,” Nile says, laughing as well. 

“No, not at all, though it’s the only girl that has ever seen the inside of your room,” Booker adds, the smile in his voice clearly noticeable.

Joe starts to protest some more but the doors close behind them, effectively cutting Nicky off from their conversation. His eavesdropping proves useful, though - Nicky now knows the name of his beautiful mystery man: _Joe_. That being said, he also found out he took a girl home not long ago, which causes Nicky’s stomach to tie up in knots. 

Why does he feel this way? It’s not like Joe even talked to him. He remembers Booker’s joke about Joe not talking _many_ girls home - maybe that indicates that he takes guys back home as well?

No, he shouldn't do this to himself. It’ll only hurt more when reality catches up with him, but even with all that, it doesn’t stop his heart from wanting Joe.

The alarm from his phone announces that his clothes are ready to be moved, pulling Nicky from his thoughts. He hasn’t even noticed the lights turning off again until he stands up. 

Making his way back down to the basement, he moves his clothes to the dryer and stays in the laundry room until it’s all finished. The tumbling of his clothes is the only sound in the room as his thoughts return to Joe. To stop his mind spiral before it starts, he goes back to Netflix and his cheesy telenovela. As much as he tries, the drama is no help at all anymore. He thinks of Joe and listens to his clothes drying, trying not to pine over a man he realistically can never have, but one that he desperately wants.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story wouldn't be possible without the help of the fabulous [crediniaeth](https://archiveofourown.org/users/crediniaeth)
> 
> The amazing artwork is by [SSleif](https://www.archiveofourown.org/users/ssleif)

It’s laundry day.

Again. 

With the cold, soggy Swedish weather leaving his wardrobe drenched, Nicky’s laundry basket is overflowing. He can hardly see where he’s going as he scales down the stairs to the laundry room, nearly tripping over the final few steps. Someone must be looking out for him because he doesn’t break his neck or even drop his basket. The only casualty to the event is just a single, soggy sweater falling from the top of the stack. 

Nicky walks into the brightly lit basement which is empty this time around, the silence confirming no one has even left their machine to run on its own. Somewhere deep down there’s a sting of sadness at the realisation that he’ll probably never see Joe again. Nicky lets out a deep sigh as he sinks down to his knees to load one of the washing machines.

Out of nowhere, a voice he recognizes asks, “Is this yours?”

Nicky jumps, but luckily this time he _doesn’t_ hit his head on the blasted machine. The moist socks he’s holding fall to the floor as he turns. 

It’s _Joe_ , holding the sweater he dropped earlier. Nicky’s heart is racing and his brain seems to crash entirely once again. 

Joe’s eyes are warm and twinkling with a million stars. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you,” he says, his voice calm and gentle, unlike the last time Nicky heard it.

Nicky’s eyes close for a moment as he collects himself. When he opens them, he looks up at Joe and smiles. 

“No, I mean _Si_. Uh, yes, I mean yes, thank you. That’s my sweater.” 

Nicky is 100% sure that his cheeks are glowing bright red as he reaches up to grab the sweater at the same time that Joe hands it to him. Their hands brush against each other, making Nicky’s skin tingle where they touch. It’s for only a second, but the feeling stays with him as he throws the sweater into the washing machine. 

The last time he saw Joe, Nicky was so preoccupied with his own stupidity and sudden feelings that he didn’t even get a good look at him. He’s still trying not to stare or ogle too noticeably, but he can’t help himself. 

Joe’s dishevelled curls add to his sunny disposition. 

His 3-day-stubble seems intentional. 

Nicky can tell that he’s an athletic man, even with him wearing a threadbare cable knit jumper and utility trousers covered in paint splatter, but the thing that sticks with Nicky most is Joe’s smile which lights up his entire face. 

Nicky can feel Joe eying him up as well, which makes him blush even more. 

“I could be mistaken, but haven’t I seen you here before,” Joe asks. “The Italian in the… in this sweater, right?” 

Nicky had hoped that Joe had forgotten all about him, his gremlin outfit, and his terrible first impression. For a moment Nicky thinks about lying, but it’s no use - Italians studying at a Swedish university is a rare thing.

“Yes, that’s me. You’re one of the engineers, right?” 

The confused look on Joe’s face tells him that he’s gotten something wrong.

“You were talking about the bridge that day. The one in _Genova_. It’s not a common subject in a medical dorm.” 

Joe’s face changes into a crooked grin. “Yeah. Well, no, Booker and Nile are in engineering. I’ve just been put in their building for shits and giggles.” 

Nicky bites his lower lip, unable to look away from Joe. The silence between them is heavy with... _something_. 

“I’m Joe, by the way.”

“Nicky. Nice to meet you, Joe.”

“Nice to meet you too, Nicky.” 

The way Joe pronounces his name makes Nicky’s legs turn to jell-o. He always thought of his nickname as plain, but the way Joe says it makes it feel special. 

For a moment, Nicky doesn’t remember how to speak in either Swedish or Italian because of how flustered Joe leaves him, so he forces himself to finish loading his washing machine and turn it on to give him time to structure his thoughts. Joe walks away to find an empty washer of his own. 

“Isn’t there a laundry room in your building,” Nicky asks. “It’s at least a half hour’s walk from the Engineering dorm, and there has to be closer machines to use than ours.” 

_Smooth move, Casanova,_ Nicky thinks to himself as soon as the words leave his mouth. He just hopes it didn’t sound too hostile. 

Judging by Joe’s warm chuckle, it’s alright. “There is, but it got flooded a couple of weeks ago. No one’s sure when it’ll be up and running again, so housing services decided it was easiest to assign each floor to another dorm building for their laundry.”

“And you had the shitty luck of getting assigned to the building on campus farthest away from yours.”

Joe smiles. “I wouldn’t call it shitty luck, per se.” 

_Is Joe flirting with me from behind the door of his machine, or is my mind just playing games on me?_

Nicky must be imagining things. Men like Joe are usually not gay, and even if they are, they’re certainly never single. He stands up, unsure if he should leave or stay. 

Joe’s eyes follow him. “Are you going back to your room?” 

There’s something in Joe’s voice that Nicky can’t place. Disappointment? No, he’s imagining things again. 

For sure.

“Maybe,” Nicky responds. “Why?”

“It would be nice to have someone to wait with.”

Nicky doesn’t even think before answering. “Okay, sounds good to me.”

“Thanks,” Joe says, relieved. “You’re a lifesaver. Being alone in a basement at night isn’t very high on my bucket list.”

Nicky laughs, a real _honest_ laugh. It feels weird to laugh this freely in front of a stranger, but with Joe it feels easy and natural. “I’m sure your life isn’t a horror movie, Joe.”

“Better safe than sorry, especially with Nile and Booker away hiking.”

“They went hiking and left you behind to do the laundry?”

Joe laughs, which gives Nicky a thrill. It’s such a sweet, yet powerful sound; his reaction to it is absolutely embarrassing.

“I don’t mind doing laundry, and let’s just say that I have a talent for taking the scenic route.”

 _He is_ _not_ _flirting with me_ , Nicky has to remind himself. They are in a laundry room, for fuck’s sake, not a bar. 

But how to respond? 

“So, if you’re not an engineer, what are you studying?”

“Art Conservation,” Joe says, as he loads his own massive laundry haul into a handful of machines. “I started out in Studio Art, but that just didn’t work out. Having stuffy old men judge your creativity sucked the fun right out of it. I’m _so_ glad I switched. I never thought I’d be a conservator, but…”

Joe stops, a blush forming on his cheeks. “Sorry, I’m rambling. You probably don’t care one bit about all that. What are you studying?”

Joe can’t be more wrong - Nicky would _love_ to hear him talk about anything, especially about things that make him tick. He wants to get to know the man behind the smile, so much so that it shocks him at just how strong that need is. 

Nicky realises he still hasn’t answered Joe. “Um... I’m a med student. I’m hoping to get a spot in emergency medicine after my rotations. Conservation sounds really cool, too bad Studio Art didn’t work out for you.”

Joe raises an eyebrow, but instead of panicking, Nicky sits on top of one of the unused machines, grateful that he is able to do it with some amount of grace instead of falling on his face. He misses Joe’s smile while getting himself settled, but reacts to Joe’s big laugh which is still as heavenly as ever. 

Nicky is even more besotted than he already is. 

Joe closes his machines and turns them on before perching on the machine across from Nicky. His warm, brown eyes catch Nicky’s blues, so there’s no way Nicky can escape them. For a moment the entire world stops and there’s nothing left but the two of them and the soft hum of the washers in the background.

“Where in Italy do you come from,” Joe asks. 

“ _Genova_ , but I spent most of my childhood in Stockholm after my father got transferred to Sweden. My parents and sisters still live there, while my brother Marti studies in _Genova_ and lives with our _nonna_. It’s a great city. It’s home. The view over the _porto antico_ from the hills is just stunning. It makes the bike ride up there more than worth it. You can spot dolphins when cycling along the shore, if you’re lucky. Playing football in the field at the…”

Nicky stops, surprised at himself for being so open with someone who is basically a stranger at this point. Joe must have a superpower: like his inner sunshine is able to melt away Nicky’s nerves like snow in spring - it’s a welcome change. Hopefully this means they can finally have a normal conversation.

If Nicky wants that to happen, he should probably keep talking. There is just so much he wants to know about Joe and not enough words to ask it all at once.

“How did you end up here, Joe?”

It surely sounds better in his head, but at least Nicky’s glad that the silence between them isn’t too awkwardly long..

The bright smile on Joe’s face doesn’t fade a bit as he starts talking. “I was born and raised in Luleå. There’s not much to it, really. Freaking cold and dark in winter, but it’s pretty awesome to play hockey on the bay when it freezes over. I try to go back there every other weekend. Too bad there’s no way of playing football outside between October and April - there’s so much snow you can’t find the ball when you overshoot the goal!”

They’re both laughing before Joe even finishes. Nicky had known snow since he was a kid, though losing a football in it is something he only discovered this far north. In the past he did go on the open water ice in Stockholm after school during some of the harsher winters, but that was years ago already. Still, Nicky can relate to Joe’s memories a lot.

“I wouldn’t take you for a hockey player,” Nicky says, still laughing.

“Why? Because I have all my teeth and no broken limbs?”

“What would you do if I said yes?”

“This,” Joe snickers while attempting to kick at Nicky’s shins. 

Nicky laughs even louder. He can’t remember the last time he laughed this much. He doesn’t mind it at all.

Joe continues. “I just play for the fun of it when football stops for winter, and before you say anything, yes I know you can play indoors, but that’s just no fun. Football includes slipping on muddy grass and having to guess where the penalty box is halfway through the game.”

“You’re absolutely right! You need either grass of dubious quality or a shabby parking lot to play a game.”

“You play too? Why haven’t I seen you at practice?”

Nicky stops to scratch the back of his head, unsure how to best articulate himself. “I tried out in year 1, but my course load was way too much to do any extracurriculars on top of it all. I kinda forgot about it after that and started cycling and skiing again once I had more free time.”

“You should try out again, if you want,” Joe offers. “We’re always looking for new players. Booker plays too, he’s a great left back.” 

Joe stops to fiddle with the sleeves of his jumper, like he’s nervous. ”If you don’t, maybe you want to come to a game instead? We play every other Saturday, except when there’s an important match on TV. We stop playing between Halloween and Easter when the snow is too thick.”

 _Is this Joe being nice, or is he asking me on a date?_

Nicky isn’t sure, but once again his heart speaks louder than his mind. “Sure. I’ve got time on Saturdays.”

Except for cycling practice and whatever homework he’ll have at the end of the week, but a game is just 90 minutes, and he still has Sundays, right? 

“Awesome,” Joe says with a grin. “We were supposed to play this Saturday, but the Blue and Yellow is playing Denmark. We’re going to watch it together in the student union on the big screen. You can join us if you want.”

_Okay, keep your cool, Nicky. This isn’t a date. It’s someone inviting you to watch a game, nothing more._

“Why not? We can watch them win together.”

Their conversation continues organically with subjects ranging from the stupidest way they got injured to their favourite foods, acciughe ripiene for Nicky and koucha for Joe. Nicky feels more comfortable the more they talk, despite his fear of embarrassment. Joe also seems to be enjoying himself, livening up even more when he talks about Rembrandt, one of his favourite artists. Only the beeping of the washing machines interrupts the conversation, urging them to move their laundry to the dryer. 

Nicky can’t believe how much time has passed by the time his clothes are done. He puts his clean clothes back in his basket at the slowest pace known to man, delaying the inevitable.

“So, I’ll see you on Saturday,” Joe asks. “Most people will be there around 8.”

“Sounds good,” Nicky responds. “I’ll be there around 8 as well. It’s behind the Agriculture building, right?”

“Exactly! I can’t wait.”

“Me neither,” Nicky says as he heads for the stairs. 

Nicky lingers on the first step. He doesn’t want to leave, especially not when Joe looks at him like he is the moon itself, but he really has to go. He still has homework to do.

“Good night, Nicky.” 

“Have a good night, Joe.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story wouldn't be possible without the help of the fabulous [crediniaeth](https://archiveofourown.org/users/crediniaeth)
> 
> The amazing artwork is by [SSleif](https://www.archiveofourown.org/users/ssleif)

On Sunday night, at 8pm exact, Nicky parks his old city bike at the student union. The sound of loud conversations greets him before he even gets a chance to enter the modern looking building. Nicky’s eyes wander around the room, but he doesn’t see Joe or anyone else he recognises, so he heads to the bar to get himself a drink.

The more time he spends at the bar waiting for his beer, the more he feels out of place. Almost everyone is wearing a football jersey - some are even wearing scarfs, hats, or face paint. Nicky, on the other hand, is wearing a dark blue button down under his puffy jacket. 

He tried to make a bit of an effort for Joe, even though this isn’t a date. 

As Nicky finishes paying, a hand touches his shoulder. When Nicky turns, he bumps right into Joe wearing a Swedish football jersey and beanie and sporting Swedish flags painted on his cheeks. Joe looks absolutely ridiculous and it makes Nicky break into a huge grin. 

“Hi Nicky,” Joe calls out, extremely excited. “Come on! We saved you a seat!” 

Joe pulls Nicky along to the table where Booker and Nile are sitting drinking beers of their own. They don’t even look up when Joe and Nicky sink down on the available chairs, deep in conversation in between sips.

“Nile? Booker? This is Nicky,” Joe interrupts the two as he makes the introductions. “Nicky? Nile and Booker.”

Nicky can tell that Nile and Booker are sizing him up. They share a knowing look between them, as he reaches out a hand to introduce himself formally, or as formally as is possible in a busy student union filled with excited football fans. 

“Nice to meet you.”

He drops his hand when neither of them reach for it.

“Wait, you’re the one from the laundry room, right,” Booker asks as he drinks his beer. Nicky watches as Booker traces his fingers over Nile’s leg that’s draped across his lap. “How’s the head?”

Nicky nods. “It’s fine. That wasn’t my best first impression.”

“Are you kidding me,” Joe says as he inserts himself in the conversation. “It was very memorable.” 

Nicky feels the colour rise to his cheeks at the clear fondness in Joe’s tone. Meanwhile, Nile and Booker choke on their beer, trying not to laugh.

Booker taps his cheeks, which show off Swedish flags as well as a blue and yellow banner under them. “Joe, don’t you and Nile have to attack him with your face paints like you two did with me?”

Joe turns to Nicky, clearly excited. “You don’t mind, do you?” Nile doesn’t even wait for an answer and is already busy getting the box of face paint off another table.

Nicky nods. “Go ahead. I’m feeling a bit out of place without it.”

“It’ll be a masterpiece,” Nile pitches in. “I promise.”

Nile sits back down at the table. She and Joe confer on what exactly to paint on Nicky’s face as she preps the colors and brushes. Nicky takes a final sip of his beer, moving the chair around to face Joe.

Brush in hand, Joe dips it in a bit of blue and begins to outline the beginnings of a flag on Nicky’s cheek. Nicky knows he really shouldn’t be talking as Joe works, but this is a rare opportunity to get to know more about him. Without moving his face too much, he asks “So, how do you three know each other?”

Joe smiles. “Nile and I started in Studio Art together-”

“-and I defected around the same time he did,” Nile interrupts, finishing Joe’s sentence. “I love drawing, but I wanted to see my drawings take shape in three dimentions, not just two.”

“Which is why she became an Engineering major,” Joe says as he changes colors.

“Architecture, really, but there is a lot of engineering involved, depending on your project. In architecture, whatever you draw has to be able to be created in the real world.”

“Which is where I come in,” Booker adds.

Nile laughs. “Booker’s always been an Engineering major. I met him when I started my new program, and I pretty much dragged Joe along for the party.”

“And what a party it’s been,” Joe says as he picks up a fine point brush and dips it in the blue he’s been using. As he brings it up to Nicky’s face, Nicky can feel that he’s working under whatever he was doing first. Meanwhile Nile adds something that feels like lettering to the cheek Joe finished up already.

“Of course it is! I’m the life of that party, Joe,” Booker exclaims, slapping the table and causing the mixed colors to bounce slightly.

“Booker! Cut it out,” Nile says, flicking her brush at him. “You’ll mess up Joe!”

“No way, Nile,” Joe says with a smirk as he looks into Nicky’s eyes. “I’m as cool as a cucumber. Nothing phases me.”

Nicky’s sure there’s some sort of innuendo in there, but he can’t put his finger on it. He blushes nonetheless, unable to do anything while under Joe’s careful attention.

A few moments later, Joe leans back and sets down the brush in his hand. “I think I got it. What do you think?”

Nicky pulls out his phone to look at his reflection in the dark screen. There are banners of little blue and yellow flags across his cheekbones on a delicate line. Underneath the flags Nile wrote ‘Sweden’ in an awesome curly font. 

It’s beautiful.

“I love it.”

Joe’s face lights up just like Nile’s, only brighter.

“Now you won’t stand out as much,” Nile says as she wraps her blue and yellow scarf around Nicky’s neck and puts the face paint away.

It’s too kind of a gesture towards a practical stranger, which makes Nicky appreciate it even more. “ _Grazie mille_. Thank you so much.”

From the corner of his eye, Nicky spots a familiar face in the crowd: Quynh is sitting a couple of tables over cosying up to someone he recognizes but can’t remember the name of. Quynh introduced the short haired woman to him a while ago, but it was during midterms so he wasn’t mentally present at the time, and he felt too awkward to ask for her name again afterwards. All he knows is that she’s a TA and working on her PhD like Quynh. 

Suddenly the two of them turn to look his way, either because they feel him staring or because someone tripped right behind him. Nicky looks away quickly, mortified after getting caught.

Booker catches Nicky staring at Quynh and her companion as well. “How do you know Andy,” Booker asks, tipping his beer towards the ladies. 

_So that’s her name: Andy._

“Andy? No, I know Quynh. I’m surprised to see her here.”

“I’m not. The two of them have been spending every sports night here at that table for over half a year now.”

“Oh, so that’s why she’s never available on Saturday nights.”

Booker laughs loudly at Nicky’s realisation, taking another sip of his beer. “Sorry to say, but I don’t think she’s interested.”

Joe and Nile look up from a drawing they started together, pulled from their project by Booker’s outburst. Nile may have lost her concentration, but Joe was never really focussed on the drawing in the first place, looking at Nicky every other second instead. Nile kicks Booker under the table, making Booker spill his beer all over his chin and shirt. 

Nicky’s not sure if Booker is trying to be sincere or if he’s just amused by the whole thing, but while Booker tries to dry himself off, Nicky is in panic mode. _What if Joe thinks that I’m into girls?_ A few years ago, he would have done anything to have someone think he’s straight, but not anymore and _especially_ not Joe.

“What?! It would be so weird if she was, she’s like a sister to me.”

Nicky downs the rest of his beer, trying to keep his cool and not blurt out something stupid. Booker keeps chuckling despite Nile’s deadly look. Joe is still drawing a bit, or maybe just moving a pencil aimlessly across the paper, like his mind is elsewhere.

Booker stands. “Whatever you say, Nicky. Does anyone else want another beer before the game starts?”

Nile scoots her empty glass his way and Joe takes a long drink from his can. 

“I take that as a yes.” Booker turns to Nicky. “Do you want one as well?”

“If you don’t mind.”

Booker laughs and walks off towards the bar while the big screen shows the pre-game commercials. Nicky didn’t see the full label on Joe’s can before Booker left the table, but he did catch it was a non-alcoholic Falcon of some sort. It’s surprising - Joe never mentioned being abstinent before and it’s not like anyone here is a designated driver. 

Nicky makes a mental note of it, just in case. 

Nicky feels his phone buzz in his pocket, which startles him a little. He isn’t sure if he should look at it, though a second buzz convinces him to take a quick look. It’s Quynh:

**Quynh 20.19:** _So that’s the infamous Joe. He’s cute._

 **Quynh 20.19:** _Nice face paint btw._

Nicky looks over to Quynh, who flashes him a smile before winking at him and writing him another text.

**Quynh 20.20:** _What are you doing? Go and get him. He seems into you._

 **Nicky 20.20:** _Shut up. He brought a girl home not long ago, so I’ve got no chance anyways._

 **Quynh 20.20:** _Are you sure about that?_

 **Nicky 20.21:** _Yes._

 **Nicky 20.21:** _I mean no._

 **Nicky 20.21:** _I don’t know ._

 **Nicky 20.21:** _He’s with his friends anyways and this ISN’T a date._

 **Quynh 20.22:** _You’re sweet, Nicky._

 **Nicky 20.22:** _Thanks._

 **Quynh 20.23:** _You better ask him on a REAL date before the end of the night or I will NEVER bring you coffee ever again._

 **Nicky 20.24:** _Low blow._

 **Quynh 20.24:** _Just a little extra motivation, Italian Stallion._

Nicky hates that nickname and Quynh most definitely knows that. She also knows exactly what to say to get him to do pretty much anything she asks him to.

**Quynh 20.25:** _Better get back to your conversation. And if you don’t ask him for yourself, do it for the free coffee._

Right at that moment, Booker put three glasses and a can on the table. Nicky shoots a deadly look at Quynh. Quynh returns the favor with the most innocent smile that she can manage.

“Relationship trouble,” Booker asks as he sits, grinning.

“I told you, she’s like a sister,” Nicky bites back as he sharply stuffs his phone into his pocket. “A _very_ annoying one, at that.”

Booker puts his hands up. “I’m just fucking with you, Nicky. No need to be defensive. We’re all friends here.”

Once Nicky settles, he takes a small sip from the fresh beer in front of him. It’s still nice and cold. “Thanks for the beer, Booker.”

“Don’t mention it,” Booker says, warily. “Next round’s on you.”

Nile elbows both Booker and Nicky, gesturing that the game is about to start. 

Everyone’s focus shifts to the big screen on the furthest wall from the bar, and for the next forty-five minutes all you can hear inside the student union is the static noise of the crowd, including the occasional cheering, swearing at a referee’s bad call, or groaning when a ball misses its intended target. Nicky isn’t even really aware of Joe next to him anymore, it’s all about The Blue and Yellow.

A Swedish left-back manages to score a minute before halftime and the whole bar erupts into cheers like everyone won the lottery simultaneously. Joe flings himself around Nicky’s neck in excitement while Nicky is also going crazy and they end up bashing their heads together in the aftermath. Both of them curse in a tongue the other doesn’t understand, but Joe is the first one to crack a smile, rubbing his head and messing up his curls even more. Nicky isn’t far behind, while rubbing the bump forming on his own forehead. 

He definitely isn’t paying attention to the game anymore, only to the man next to him.

“Are you alright,” Nicky asks.

“Yeah, it’s just a bump,” Joe replies. “Got a thick skull. How about you?”

“Likewise, thank you. I guess I’ll be sporting a fringe while it heals.”

“Do you want a kiss?”

Both their chuckling stops. Nicky’s eyes go wide. 

“On your head, I mean,” Joe recovers. “To help it heal.”

Nicky’s not sure of what to do or what to say. It’s halftime now, and Nile and Booker are watching the two of them, amused by Joe and Nicky’s complete obliviousness to anything around them.

Booker is the one to put an end to it. “How about another round, Nicky?”

“Huh? I mean, yes, of course. What do you all want? Beer? Wine? Soda?”

“Beer,” Nile and Booker answer in unison. 

Joe remains quiet, rolling his can between his hands. 

“Joe, do you want something as well?”

“A Falcon Alkoholfri?”

“Of course,” Nicky says as he nods to the group. ”Give me a moment. I’ll be right back.”

Nicky walks towards the busy bar, queueing up in the hopes of getting their drinks before the end of halftime. He stares blankly at the graphic print on the wall, pondering why Joe would act so nervous concerning his drink. He can’t imagine why, since Joe was his open bubbly self the entire time before that. He hopes it has nothing to do with him.

Nicky startles when Quynh puts an arm around his shoulders. “How are things going with my favourite Italian?”

“I’m pretty sure I’m the only Italian you know, Quynh. Also, your date is probably going a lot better than my get together.”

“Oh shut up, Nicky. I know your uncle Vincenzo, remember?” 

Quynh looks back through the crowd in the direction of Nicky’s table. “I’m pretty sure Joe missed most of the game staring at your cute little face.”

“Joe wasn’t looking at me. I know, because _I_ was looking at _him_.”

“Ha, I knew it! Andy owes me a 100 krona.”

Nicky looks affronted. “You made a bet? On what?”

“On you falling for that incurable romantic _and_ being totally oblivious about his advances.”

“Come on, Quynh. You’re just fucking with me.”

“Do I look like I’m fucking with you?”

Quynh’s very clearly not fucking with him, though he can’t wrap his head around Joe flirting with him. _He’s just Nicky._

Nicky sighs in defeat as the two of them move towards the front of the queue. “Fine, fine, fine. Anyways, _you_ forgot to tell me you got yourself a girlfriend to watch sports with every week…”

“Nice try getting out from under that conversation, di Genova. We _will_ come back to this. I didn’t tell you about Andy because we’re not doing labels and she’s always busy anyways.” 

Quynh and Nicky order their drinks. “Wait, how do you know about our sports nights?”

“Booker told me? He’s Joe’s French friend. Weird name for a French person.”

“I should have known. He seems trustworthy, but that man’s the worst gossip of them all.” She gives Booker a side glance. “Since he told you our ‘secret’, I’ll tell you his… His _real_ name’s Sebastien Le Livre, hence the ‘Book’ in Booker. He got sick of people butchering his name.”

Despite Nicky being sure this is classified information, he understands Booker very well. Nicky also goes with his nickname, just because it’s easier on everyone. 

The bartender signals the two of them that their orders are ready, so Nicky takes the drinks he ordered and pays his tab. Quynh does the same. 

“Quynh, do you know why Joe would order… you know, never mind. It doesn’t matter. Will I see you at cycling practice tomorrow?”

“Probably. I’ll catch up when you pass the humanities building.”

“Try to get yourself some sleep tonight,” Nicky jokes.

“Try to get yourself a _guy_ tonight, Nicky.” Quynh smacks his ass. “Now go!”

With that, Quynh disappears into the crowd with her two drinks. Nicky watches her leave before heading back to the table with Joe’s little gang of friends.

Joe is the first one to notice him. _Was he watching me the whole time? It can't be_. Nicky catches a twinkle in Joe’s eye, which makes him smile. He puts the beers down in front of Booker and Nile, before handing the can of non-alcoholic beer to Joe.

“I hope it’s the right one. I got a bit caught up with a friend, so I forgot to check.”

Joe’s smile somehow gives Nicky the feeling that it’s more than just a beer. “It’s perfect, thank you.”

Nicky takes a sip from his glass, not sure what else to say. Luckily the game starts again, giving him some much needed distraction. 

Sweden is clearly the stronger team in the second half of the game. It translates into a couple more goals, each one being celebrated even more enthusiastically than the previous one. Nicky does his best to watch the game, but he can’t help but think about his conversation with Quynh, and in doing so maybe sneak a glance or two at Joe for good measure. He catches Joe doing the same thing a handful of times, who does not handle getting caught well, the grin on his face being a huge tell. 

The match ends with one last goal in stoppage time, seeing Sweden victorious with a final score of 5-1. When the whistle blows, the student union explodes in excitement and celebration. It’s a crazy atmosphere, like Sweden just won the World Cup instead of a Nations League game. Nicky is feeling a buzz from the energy in the room and the alcohol in his veins, but most of all it comes from Joe’s arm around his shoulders. 

Someone turns off the big screen and starts playing music over the speakers. The crowd immediately gets the idea and starts moving tables out of the way to create a dance floor. Joe loosens his grip on Nicky’s shoulder only to grab his wrist to pull him to the closest table so they can push it to the side together. When Nicky turns around, he can’t find anyone he knows except Joe. The room full of football supporters has now changed into a crazy, ecstatic dance party.

“You’re staying, right,” Joe asks. “I mean, you don’t have to if you don’t want to.”

Nicky doesn’t want his time with Joe to end, so he replies with an enthusiastic “Of course I’m staying!”

Nicky knows he’ll hate himself for this in the morning when he has to click into his pedals at 7am, but he lets Joe pull him towards the middle of the dance floor where people are close together bouncing to the beat. Nicky’s glad to have some beer in his system to dampen his nerves a little. He’s not the best dancer by a long shot, but he really enjoys it. Joe, however, is both great and terrible at it at the same time. His movements are strange, yet captivating. Nicky joins in, smiling and belting along with the rest of the bar when a well-known song comes on. 

Nicky is having the time of his life dancing and laughing with Joe. Joe also seems to be having fun, much to Nicky’s delight. It’s when Joe twirls him around that Nicky catches sight of the clock on the wall. Seeing that it's almost midnight he stops in his tracks, crashing into Joe’s chest. 

Nicky sighs, fighting with himself over this. “I think I need to go.”

“What?!”

Maybe Joe didn’t hear him over the loud music. “Go! I need to go!”

“What?!”

This isn’t working, so Nicky grabs Joe’s arm and pulls him outside. The temperature has dropped to a freezing cold that goes right down to your bones if you let it, but it’s a lot quieter out here than in the hot student union.

“I think I need to go, Joe.”

Joe’s eyes turn sad and confused. Immediately Nicky regrets being so to the point. There has to be something he can do to change this, right?

“I’ll turn into a mouse when the clock strikes 12,” Nicky says, hoping to lighten the mood.

It’s a bad joke, but it makes Joe laugh and that’s all that matters.

“In all seriousness, I’ve got practice at 7am, so I should’ve been in bed ages ago. I really enjoyed tonight, though.”

“I did too, Nicky. I really did. It’s nice seeing you outside of the laundry room.”

“It’s nice seeing you somewhere else as well.” 

Nicky grabs his bike keys from his pocket, fidgeting with the keyring so he doesn’t have to leave so soon. Nicky already knows that he’ll miss him, despite only knowing Joe for a very short time. 

“This is goodbye, I guess.”

Joe leans in, making Nicky’s eyes grow wide when Joe’s lips softly kiss his cheek. His beard tickles Nicky’s jaw. “Good night, Nicky. I’m sure you’re a very cute mouse.”

Joe turns to go back inside, but Nicky’s not ready to say good night just yet. He tries to come up with something, _anything,_ to say to get Joe to turn back around. It’s harder than usual because of the alcohol.

“Do you want to meet up for Halloween?”

Joe turns around, clearly surprised. He closes the distance between them. They’re closer than ever before, their foreheads touching. “I’d love to.”

“Really?”

Instead of answering, Joe tips his head towards Nicky’s. Just before their lips touch, there’s a loud crashing sound that interrupts them. They both jump backwards, Nicky almost crashing into his bike, Joe nearly tripping over the step in front of the door. 

It’s Booker and Nile, both completely hammered. “Joe! Joe! Can you help me please,” Nile pleads as she struggles to keep Booker on his feet. “He’s heavy!”

Joe turns back to Nicky. “Duty calls.”

“I’ll see you at Halloween,” Nicky asks again.

“I promise. Good luck at practice tomorrow.”

With that, Joe quickly jogs back to his friends to prevent Booker from splitting his head open on the pavement. 

Nicky watches them walk away for a moment before finally unlocking his bike and cycling back to his dorm for a terribly short night. He’s going to hate himself in the morning for staying up this late, that’s for sure, but for his racing heart, the butterflies in his stomach, and the knowledge of what Joe’s beard feels like against his skin?

_It’s 100% worth it._


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story wouldn't be possible without the help of the fabulous [crediniaeth](https://archiveofourown.org/users/crediniaeth)
> 
> The amazing artwork is by [SSleif](https://www.archiveofourown.org/users/ssleif)

Nicky keeps plucking at the seams of his costume. Joe never came back to his question about costumes and Nicky never asked again, as to not seem too desperate. A red sheet draped over his normal clothes and a gold laurel wreath isn’t something he would usually pick himself, but he doesn’t have anything better. Of course, Albin turns around in his desk chair just as Nicky finishes adjusting his toga. 

“You seriously wearing that?”

Nicky didn’t even bother to look at him, trying to ignore him as best as he could. “ _Si._ ” 

“You look like a child lost in the IKEA drapes section. Who on earth are you supposed to be?”

“Julius Caesar.”

“Whatever, you…”

Nicky’s saved by a knock at the door. He closes the distance and swings it open in one fluid motion to find Quynh dressed in a long flowing dress with fake kelp in her hair.

“A kelpie? I should have guessed. You look great, by the way.”

“You should have, Nicky, and thanks. Anyways, your look is more important right now. It’s not bad, but it needs a little… pizazz.” Quynh’s eyes glimmer with something dangerous as she moves through the room. “Do you have scissors and some safety pins?” 

Nicky knows better than to go against his friend when she gets like this. “On my desk, but hurry, I don’t want to be late.”

“Shush. This’ll be done in a minute.”

Quynh gets to work on fixing Nicky’s costume. She starts to pull on parts of the toga to either cut them off or pin them back, poking Nicky once or twice in the process. Nicky isn’t entirely convinced that it’s on accident after what happened this week, but when she’s done the sheet isn’t touching the ground anymore and it actually looks Roman instead of… sad. Albin pretends to be focused on his screen instead of commenting. That might be for the best, considering last time he was rude to Nicky in front of Quynh.

“Are you sure you’re not supposed to be a tailor instead of a doctor in Marine Biology, Quynhzel?”

“I think you meant to say ‘Thank you, Nicolas’.”

“Thank you, Nicolas,” Nicky chuckles. He knows he’s being insufferable, but it sure helps to calm his nerves and get his mind off of his date.

Quynh laughs as well. “You’re the worst. Why are we friends again?” 

“Because we’re both nerds without much of a social life?”

“Speak for yourself.” Quynh takes a quick look at herself in the mirror. “Anyways, let’s go. Let’s get you your man.”

“He’s not…”

“Yeah, yeah, shut up. Grab your coat and keys. You don’t want to be late, right?”

Nicky’s just able to grab his coat, keys, and wallet before Quynh drags him outside. She gives him a moment to get his old city bike from the shed, and then they make their way to the gymnasium. They park their bikes with the ones that are already there before entering. The building is decorated in torn sheets that cover the fairy lights that are already up for St. Lucia and Christmas. It’s simple, but it works great in the dark. 

Nicky loses Quynh in the crowd pretty much instantly, so he looks to see if he can spot any familiar faces, but no such luck. Instead, he heads to the pop-up bar while trying to text Joe. They’ve texted more than he cares to admit over the past few weeks with Joe usually starting the conversation, even though Nicky was the one keeping the conversation going. 

**Nicky 21.47:** Joe?

 **Nicky 21.47:** Will you be here soon?

 **Nicky 21.47:** Or are you already here?

Nicky gets himself a beer and looks around again, waiting for Joe to text him back. The moment he tries to take the first sip of his beer, he’s startled by a hand on his arm. To his own surprise he manages not to spill the entire cup all over himself.

“Hi.” 

The hairs on the back of Nicky’s neck stand up straight from the warm breath against it. Nicky turns around to see Joe with a smile on his face, though it’s hard to see it underneath the white beard and wig. 

Nicky can’t help but laugh at Joe’s costume. “Hi… You look… You look… It’s a look,” Nicky finally manages to say.

Luckily, Joe’s laughing as well. “I’m glad you like it.”

It takes them a little while to calm down, especially because each time Joe tries to speak, the beard wiggles weirdly around his mouth causing another burst of laughter from Nicky. Finally Joe pulls the thing down under his chin to solve the issue altogether.

“You look great, by the way. Let me guess…”

Joe’s eyes go up and down Nicky’s body. It makes Nicky feel just a bit self-conscious, especially after Quynh made sure his costume was close fitting, even over his shirt and jeans. Nicky tries to focus on something else instead, like Joe plucking on the little curls at the bottom of his fake beard.

“Julius Caesar? But a cute one.”

Nicky wishes he’s the one with the fake beard so he can cover the blush forming on his cheeks. He tries to think of a comeback, but he can’t think of anything despite his mind going a mile a minute.

Nicky lands on a “ _Grazie mille”_ after an awkward pause.

“ _Prego,_ ” Joe responds.

It’s just one word and his accent is very thick, but Joe speaking Italian does something to Nicky that he can’t describe. 

After another moment to find his composure, he makes a vague waving motion towards the bar. “Do you want a drink?”

“Sure. A bitter lemon.”

Nicky turns around to get Joe his old lady soft drink. The bartender needs a moment to grab it, probably not used to serve anything but beer, white wine, cola, and fanta. Nicky takes this time to try and relax a little bit.

Nicky hands Joe the cup before taking a sip of his beer. “There you go for guessing my costume. I really don’t have a clue who you’re supposed to be. Jupiter, Odin, Santa in summer, the Ghost of Christmas Past, Rumpelstiltskin, a random old man?”

“Damn, I should have put on a bikini,” Joe says, laughing. “I was going for Odin, but now I wish I had gone with summer Santa.”

Imagining Joe in a bikini is not the mental image Nicky needs right now, but despite it he can’t help but laugh along with Joe. It’s weirdly calming to laugh and let the nerves and residual awkwardness fade away. 

Both Joe and Nicky take their drinks with them as they move around the room. They both move a bit on the beat of the music, though there’s no way to call it dancing. Nicky’s eyes are mostly on Joe, but he does notice someone that looks very much like Nile with angel wings on her back showing some serious skill on the dancefloor. 

Joe clearly follows his gaze. “I wish I could move like that,” he says with a sigh. “She’s such a good dancer and she’s not even trying.”

“I’ve seen your moves. You’re good. I’m just wondering how Booker can keep up.”

“He’s not that bad, but he doesn’t. She’s dancing with a couple of girls from their major and he gets them drinks. Booker might join them later on, though, once he’s less sober.”

“Or all of us join them right now.”

For a broad shouldered man with black bat wings on his back carrying what looks like a precarious amount of alcohol, Booker does a pretty good job of sneaking up on the two of them. “They want me to dance and I’m not going to be the only one not living up to their standards. Come on, I need some help carrying these drinks.”

“We were actually in the middle of something, Booker,” Joe says.

Nicky turns to Joe. “Come on, Joe. I’m sure it’ll be fun.”

Nicky isn’t the biggest fan of dancing in a big crowd, but it would give him an excuse to get close to Joe without it being weird. Nicky still isn’t entirely sure if Joe’s into him, or even into guys for that matter, even after their almost kiss a couple of weeks ago. Quynh and Nile seem to think so, but he’s been getting some pretty mixed signals himself over the past couple of weeks. One moment Joe seems really into him and the next Joe’s talking about this Noora girl again, who he clearly cares about, leaving Nicky awake more nights than he would care to admit pining over someone who is obviously taken. 

Joe looks at Nicky like he’s some kind of traitor after he sides with Booker while the Frenchman tries very hard not to laugh. Joe tries once more to prevent Booker from taking them over to the girls, but he’s clearly caving.

“But we haven’t finished our drinks.”

“Neither have I,” Booker says “Joe, you’re one of the few people that doesn’t get the not-drunk-enough card to begin with.”

Nicky takes Joe’s hand. “It’ll be fun, Joe. If it isn’t after one song, I’ll buy you another drink.” 

Nicky wishes he had the guts to offer a kiss instead, but taking his hand already feels like a big deal.

Joe looks at his hand in Nicky’s and smiles. “Deal.” 

“Alright then, _mes amis_. Help me carry these drinks.”

They take the drinks and go over to a group of girls dancing in the middle of the gymnasium, Joe and Booker bickering in a friendly way all the way there. Nicky’s surprised to see not only unknown girls in the group with Nile, but also Linn, Anna, Emma, and Josefin -the girls he often partners up with for group projects- and Robin. Usually Nicky’s delighted to see some friendly familiar faces, but having his ex around while he’s trying to flirt with Joe isn’t his ideal scenario. The three of them hand out the drinks while trying to say hi to old friends and introducing themselves to new ones. Nicky hugs Nile, the girls he knows, and finally Robin. For the first time since their break-up, Nicky can’t bring himself to hug him as tightly as the girls with Joe being right there.

Nicky hears Josefin invite him to dance, and in no time he’s in the middle of the group. He can dance for sure, but he gets better when he’s more tipsy. Nicky can see that Joe and Robin are chatting, but the girls don’t leave him much time to worry. Nicky finishes his drink while trying to keep up with them and just lets go. It gets even better when the other guys are pulled into the group. They all dance the night away to normal party bops mixed in with dark rock songs perfect for Halloween. Throughout the night the group gets smaller as couples form and disappear into the evening. By the end of the night there’s just 7 of them left, out of about 20 people they started out with. 

Joe and Nicky leave the others for a moment to get another drink. As they head to the bar, Joe points at the big clock on the wall of the gymnasium. “Do you see what time it is?”

Nicky looks at the big clock hanging from one of the walls, half covered in fake cobwebs and random bones. “11 past 11.”

“Time to make a wish, Nicky.”

“That’s not... I guess a wish can’t hurt.”

Joe smiles. “That’s the spirit.”

Nicky knows it’s just dumb, but he still closes his eyes and makes a wish: _I wish Joe would kiss me._

Nicky opens his eyes and looks at Joe. “What did _you_ wish for?”

A crooked grin forms on Joe’s face as he squeezes an eye shut. “I can’t tell you, because that would jinx it. I can show you, though. Do you want to go?”

Nicky nods enthusiastically. “Let’s go.”

Nicky doesn’t even look back to the group as Joe pulls him towards the exit, stopping only to grab their coats from the rack on their way out. Nicky stops Joe the moment they’re about to turn the corner away from the building.

“Wait a minute. I have to get my bike.”

Nicky’s bike is still where he left it, though getting it unlocked in the dark isn’t as easy as it seems. As soon as Nicky gets his bike out, Joe hops onto the saddle.

“What are you doing,” Nicky exclaims.

“I’m keeping the surprise alive,” Joe says, beaming. “Get on, Nicky.”

“Are you sure? I mean, the bike’s a bit short for you and I cycle a lot.”

“Yes! I know the way and I’m pretty sure I can ride a bike. Come on!”

There’s no way Nicky can say no to Joe when he’s this excited, so he gets on the back and tries to keep both their costumes out of the wheels while Joe pedals. The campus is stunning with all the lights already up for St. Lucia and Christmas and the cold night brings a calmness that is very foreign to Nicky, even if the occasional wobble makes his heart skip a beat. He can’t help but smile and lean into Joe’s back a bit while he hums random bits of songs that were played tonight.

Joe slows down at a seemingly random maintenance building, and Nicky jumps off just in time before the both of them crash.

Nicky looks around, unfamiliar with his surroundings. “Where are we?”

“Just follow me, okay? I discovered this my first semester here.”

Joe walks, no trots, to the building’s entrance, leaving Nicky to quickly lock his bike and follow him. When he joins Joe, either Joe picked the lock or he knows how to open the door because it swings open without much of a fuss. As the two of them walk through the building, it slowly begins to dawn on Nicky where they are. The smell of chlorine and large tubes are a giveaway.

“Why are we at the pool, Joe?”

“Awesome, right,” Joe says, still smiling. He opens a door to show Nicky a familiar looking pool. “It’s a forgotten entrance to the university pool. You said you’re a good swimmer but hate the cold water, so there you go.”

Nicky is touched that Joe remembered. “But I don’t have any swim trunks with me,” Nicky complains.

“Neither do I,” Joe says, already taking off his shoes and wig. Soon enough he’s in the pool, fully clothed apart from his shoes and costume. “Are you coming?”

“Joe, do you know how miserable it’s gonna be getting home if I just… jump in?”

Joe raises an eyebrow while treading water, a silent challenge.

Nicky knows he’ll probably freeze on the long way home. He isn’t going to strip down completely, especially not when Joe kept his clothes on, so he just ditches the sheet, his shoes, and the wreath on his head before he jumps in, splashing Joe in the process. Joe’s curls stick to his forehead, but that makes him look even more attractive. 

Joe’s fingers reach out to wipe the wet hair from Nicky’s eyes. “So, now you know my wish. Can you tell me yours?”

Nicky bites his bottom lip, unsure if he should just tell Joe or not. 

“I’ll tell you if you can hold your breath longer than I can.”

“Deal, but I have to warn you, you might as well tell me now.”

Nicky smirks. “I hope you can back that up.”

Joe’s teasing grin makes Nicky’s heart skip a beat. “Count down and you’ll find out.” 

“Three… Two… One…”

Nicky takes a deep breath and let’s himself sink to the bottom with his eyes closed. He tries to concentrate on just himself and not on Joe. It’s hard, but he manages to do it. After a while Nicky is slowly running out of air, but before he needs to surface Joe pulls Nicky close and kisses him, causing Nicky’s eyes to fly open. He gasps in surprise and gets nothing but chlorinated water in his lungs, which forces him to go to the surface for air. 

His heart is doing backflips and his lips are tingling.

“That’s cheating,” Nicky manages to say between coughing and trying to catch his breath.

“You never said it was.”

“Don’t you have a girlfriend?”

Joe looks confused. “A what?”

“Noora? The girl you mention every now and again? You seem really fond of her and I don’t want to come between the two of you.”

Joe starts laughing, leaving Nicky completely perplexed and more embarrassed than anything. He’s sure this Noora person is important to Joe in some way.

It takes Joe a moment to calm down, his laugh turning into a gentle smile. “Noora isn’t my girlfriend. She’s a girl, and a great friend, but she isn’t human. Noora is my gargoyle gecko.”

Nicky’s face lights up at the realisation that he has been jealous of a reptile. If Quynh ever catches wind of this, he’ll never hear the end of it.

“I really was cheating earlier,” Joe says. “Like you said. Do you want to go again?”

Nicky nods, hoping this might put an end to his embarrassing ordeal. At least underwater he can’t embarrass himself any more than he already did.

“Three… Two… One…”

Nicky takes another gulp of air and goes under. This time he keeps his eyes open, looking at Joe’s face and his curls forming a halo around it flowing in the water. 

_Fuck it!_

Nicky closes the gap between them and kisses Joe. He doesn’t even remember going up to the surface on purpose, but ends up there with his arms around Joe’s neck and Joe’s arms around his waist. Nicky grabs hold of the ledge to keep them from drowning, while the tingling from his lips spreads throughout his body as the kiss continues.

“Wow,” Nicky murmurs, completely out of breath once they pull away for a moment.

Joe’s equally breathless. “Wow indeed.”

“I’ve wanted to do that for a very long time.”

“Me too. Since the night you came into the basement all bundled up.”

Nicky smiles. “Now you know what I wished for.” He kisses Joe again. After waiting so long for this, he really doesn’t want to let go anymore, afraid that all this will turn out to be either an elaborate prank or a dream. 

A loud voice echoes through the pool. “What the… what the fuck are you two doing here?! How the fuck did you get in?”

They turn to see a confused campus security officer heading in their direction. It takes Joe a second to react, but Nicky’s already scrambling to get out of the water, holding out a hand to help Joe get on dry land. In no time he puts on his shoes, grabs the rest of his stuff, and bolts, Joe right there next to him. They can hear the security officer behind them, but it soon becomes clear they’ll outrun him as long as they don’t stop.

They finally reach Nicky’s bike and fall down in the grass to hide from the security officer that comes out a minute or so later, wheezing more than they are. The man doesn’t do much except look around and lock the door behind him, muttering about students and their lack of respect for university property.

The moment he’s gone, they both burst out laughing.

“That was both the most stupidest and the most fun thing I’ve ever done in my entire life,” Nicky says, shaking. “We could be suspended for this.”

“Relax, Nicky. It’s dark. It’s not like he can prove it’s us anyways.”

Both of them are clearly shivering now that their adrenaline is wearing off. To try and stay warm, Nicky blows in his hands but his chattering teeth make it very hard to do so.

Joe is also shivering, hard. “Let’s go to my dorm. It’s around the corner. The least I can do is give you a set of dry clothes after all that.” 

It sounds so genuine, not at all like a plot to get in his pants, which surprises Nicky. Even if it is, he’s so cold by now that he doesn’t care and Joe’s very handsome so it’s really a win-win.

“Okay,” Nicky manages to say with chattering teeth. 

Joe and Nicky walk to the engineering dorms, Nicky’s bike in tow. He parks it in the shed out front while Joe unlocks the front door.

“I guess messing around in the pool took longer than I expected. Must be after midnight. You’re not turning into a mouse this time, right,” Joe jokes once they’re standing in the considerably warmer hallway.

Nicky smiles. “No, not this time. A kiss from a prince broke the spell.”

They make it up to Joe’s dorm, but it isn’t until late the next day that either of them leaves. It’s fair to say that Joe doesn’t have a girlfriend and Nicky can’t be happier about it. Also, Nicky has to admit: little Noora is really cute.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story wouldn't be possible without the help of the fabulous [crediniaeth](https://archiveofourown.org/users/crediniaeth)
> 
> The amazing artwork is by [SSleif](https://www.archiveofourown.org/users/ssleif)

Two months. 

It’s been almost two months since that fateful Halloween night. It feels like yesterday and ages ago at the same time. Since then, Nicky and Joe spend nearly all their time together, except for when their schedules clash too much to make something work. That’s what brings him back here to where it all started, on his knees in front of a laundry machine after an exhausting day. Again, Nicky’s wrapped up in a little too many layers trying to survive the freezing basement. In a fit of Christmas cheer, someone in the building decided to put up just the top part of a fake Christmas tree on one of the machines. 

It doesn’t do much in terms of making the room look homey.

Nicky hears steps behind him. “Hi, stranger. I hope you didn’t miss me too much.”

The moment Nicky hears Joe’s voice, he feels warm from the inside out despite the freezing room they’re in. 

Nicky turns around, smiling fondly. “I always do, you know that. Did everything end up alright?”

“Yeah. The last few nights have just been very, very short.”

“I wish I could’ve helped you with something, but I know nothing about Fatimid art from the second crusade.”

“The first, but I love that you remembered,” Joe jumps up on the machine next to his. “How did you sleep? You had two papers due, right?” 

“ _Si_. I managed to finish them and hand them in a couple of hours early. I would have gotten a full night’s sleep last night if it wasn’t for Albin cursing at his computer until 2am.”

“How do you survive with that guy?”

Nicky looks up adoringly at Joe. “I have you.” 

He can just hear Nile cooing and Booker telling them to get a room in his head.

Joe pulls Nicky to his feet by the hood of his sweater, and for once Nicky’s the taller of the two. Joe steals a chaste kiss from his lips, but Nicky isn’t about to settle for anything less than a full one after more than a week apart while they worked on their papers. It’s a bit awkward with the washing machine door in the way, but that doesn’t stop Nicky from chasing Joe’s lips until he’s out of reach. 

Joe pulls back slightly to look at Nicky. “Are you wearing my sweater?” 

Nicky reluctantly returns to load the final bits of laundry into the washer. “Maybe. It makes it feel like you’re with me when you’re not.”

“It suits you.” Joe chuckles to himself. “I guess this is a good time to tell you that I borrowed your stuffed flannel?”

Nicky smiles. “I was wondering where it went.”

Nicky closes the washer and turns it on. It slowly dawns on him that he never felt this relaxed around a boyfriend, except maybe Robin, but only after they broke up, strangely enough. Even the double date Nicky and Joe went on with Robin and his boyfriend Julian felt comfortable, something Nicky would have never dared to think of as possible. 

Nicky slots himself in between Joe’s legs. “I’m really glad to see you, Yusuf,” Nicky says as he steals a kiss from Joe.

“And I you, Nicolo. You’re so much more beautiful in person than in my dreams.” 

Joe still kind of butchers his name, but the fact that he tries fills Nicky’s chest with butterflies. 

“You dream about me?”

“Of course I do. Don’t you dream of _me_?”

“Sometimes, though I dream of Noora more often.”

Joe laughs. “So you’re dreaming of my girlfriend! Maybe I should do something about it.”

“Maybe you should,” Nicky says as he pulls Joe in for another kiss.

Nicky’s so glad that they can laugh about the entire ‘Joe’s girlfriend is actually his gecko’-situation. This time it’s Nicky that pulls back and Joe chases _his_ lips. He does stay close enough to remain in Joe’s arms. There’s no way he’s leaving them voluntarily any time soon.

It isn’t like a movie scene, but it’s perfect nonetheless. Maybe this is his heart telling him that the time is right to entrust Joe with it. If there’s gonna be a first time for something, it might as well be now when he feels thoroughly happy and contented. 

“I love you,” Nicky says before he can stop himself. 

“I love you too.” Joe replies. There’s no doubt in Nicky’s heart or his mind that Joe means it in the same way that he does. It sounds like it’s not just a phrase to him, but a law of nature, like gravity.

Nicky’s about to say something else when Joe’s eyes dart past him to the Christmas tree in the corner. “Are those penis baubles?”

Nicky rolls his eyes. “Yes. Last week someone decided half a Christmas tree with multi-coloured lights wasn’t festive enough, and what’s more festive than penis baubles, right?”

“It’s a conversation starter, that’s for sure. Speaking of Christmas, weren’t you supposed to leave for Stockholm or Italy already?”

Nicky sighs. “Italy. I was going to spend Christmas with Marti, but the recent snow and ice storms closed down all the airports in Northern Sweden and all trains to the south are fully booked until after New Year’s, so I’m stuck here I guess. At least I didn’t buy my plane tickets yet.”

“Oh man, that sucks! You’ve been looking forward to your trip for so long. I wish I could do something for you.” 

“That’s okay, Joe. It is what it is. You can’t control the weather. What about you? Aren’t you going to see your family for Christmas?”

“My family doesn’t really celebrate Christmas, but I am going back there for the winter break.”

“Do I need to take care of Noora while you’re away?”

“And let you steal her from me?”

Nicky waggles a finger at Joe as he laughs. “Ah, you got me there.”

You’d think the joke would get old, but not yet. Nicky and Joe can still laugh about it after two months. Joe’s the first one to settle down and begins to play with a strand of hair on the nape of Nicky’s neck. “How did I get so lucky?”

“Hmm?”

“How did I get so lucky to find such a great boyfriend.”

Nicky’s cheeks turn pink. He still isn’t used to compliments like this. 

Joe continues. “It would be perfect if he didn’t go after my girl, but it could be worse.” 

“Well, I saw an ad saying: Yusuf al-Kaysani needs a contact person/boyfriend. Cute pet included,” Nicky jokes.

Of course Joe’s willing to run with it. “And you applied.” 

“Absolutely! I thought ‘Holy fuck, he's hot!’ Of course I applied.”

“That’s nice,” Joe says while leaning in for a kiss. For a moment they get carried away, melting into the kiss like they aren’t in a public space.

“I would have done it for free,” Nicky mumbles against Joe’s lips with a grin on his face.

Joe pulls back. “You’re getting paid?”

“Your mum pays me 500 krona a week.”

Joe really tries to look insulted, but he fails miserably. “Are you going to share it with me?”

“I wasn’t planning on it, but there might be a way to convince me otherwise.”

No matter how hard he tries, Nicky really can’t keep a straight face after that last comment. It only gets worse when Joe tries to look insulted once more, despite the fact that he’s cracking up with his arms wrapped around Nicky. It’s all in good fun. 

Nicky really missed this during the past week when they were both crazy busy to finish things up before the Christmas break. The erratic messy kisses over time melt into something soft and comfortable. Joe is the one to slow things down to where they’re just resting their foreheads together, but he keeps Nicky close. Joe’s hugs are really the single best thing in the world, even better than Nicky’s _nonna_ ’s pasta.

Joe’s voice is soft and hesitant when he breaks the silence between them. “I had a thought, Nicky. You can come home with me, if you want. I mean, we don’t really celebrate Christmas, but at least you won’t be alone.”

It takes Nicky a moment to even register what Joe just offered. Once he does, he can’t believe it. It freaks him out a bit. Are they even at a stage where it’s ‘Meet The Parents’-time? His own parents are very close-minded to say the least, would Joe’s parents approve of him?

Apparently Nicky accidentally stays quiet too long, unsure how to respond. “You don’t have to if you don’t want to, of course.”

“ _No!_ No, I mean yes… I’d love to. If your family doesn’t mind having me. I don’t want to intrude.”

“They’ll love you, I’m sure of it. Mum always cooks for way too many guests anyways and I would get in trouble if they found out I left a friend alone over the break without inviting him.”

“They sound really nice.” It’s that way at Nicky’s _nonna_ ’s place as well, though his parents are different, especially after he came out.

“They’re family, as are you.” Joe’s eyes light up. “So does that mean you’re coming?” 

“ _Si._ But I’ve got nothing packed. When are you… I mean when are _we_ leaving?”

“The train leaves tomorrow morning 8 past 10. So we have to leave between 9 and half past 9.”

“Do you want to help me pack?”

“Will your roommate be there,” Joe asks. Nicky may have complained to Joe about Albin from time to time as well.

“He left little over a week ago and I’ve enjoyed every minute of peace since.” 

Joe chuckles softly and it’s the best sound Nicky’s ever heard. “Then I guess I’ll help you pack.”

The two pretty much stay inseparable while Nicky finishes his laundry. Joe brought a pencil and pocketbook with him, and in between releasing Nicky so he can move his clothes around and the occasional make out session, Joe sketches random details of the room, all the while holding Nicky’s hand with his free one. Nicky watches each sketch come to life and is in awe of how much detail Joe puts into each one. He doesn’t want to interrupt Joe’s concentration, so he just sits silently and watches until his dryer beeps, announcing the end of the cycle. 

Nicky moves from Joe’s side to collect his now clean clothes and stuffs them into his laundry basket. “Do you want to get out of this freezing basement,” Nicky asks. 

“Please. I love spending time with you, but I prefer doing it somewhere where we don’t run the risk of hypothermia if you don’t mind.”

“Not at all. Let’s go,” Nicky chuckles.

Nicky grabs Joe’s hand without even thinking and pulls him back to his dorm. It’s neat for once - without Albin being there it’s a lot easier to keep clean and smelling nice.

“Just sit wherever, though maybe not on Albin’s chair.” Both of them look at the chair and then back at each other. “You don’t want to know.”

Joe kicks off his shoes at the door and lets himself fall back on Nicky’s bed. Nicky takes a moment to take it all in and sneakily takes a picture while Joe isn’t looking. He lets the laundry basket fall on the floor and pulls his closet open to grab his duffle bag.

“Do you want to help me pick out some clothes? I don’t want your family to think I’m a slob.”

“You can never look like a slob, Nicky, but sure. Let me see.”

Joe puts his notebook on Nicky’s desk and sits up straight. He inspects the closet from Nicky’s bed, though there isn’t much exciting going on. Nicky likes his clothes plain and simple, and it shows. Nevertheless, Joe gets up soon after and starts pulling some shirts out that he likes. 

Joe pulls out some dress shirts, some long sleeve shirts, and a few knitted jumpers. He really seems to know what he’s talking about, discussing each piece like the colour theory of a renaissance painting instead of clothes to meet his parents. Nicky’s trousers were a lot easier, since he only had to choose between lighter or darker jeans or his black dress trousers. The trousers did seem a bit much to the both of them, so in the end only a selection of jeans ended up in his duffle bag.

“That’s about it, I guess,” Nicky says as he rummages around his duffle bag. “I just need to grab some socks, underwear, and toiletries.”

“Can I help you with anything else?”

“No… wait, can you grab my charger and passport from the top drawer?”

“Sure.”

Nicky moves back to his closet to get the last bits of clothing he’ll need: a pair of pyjamas, underwear, socks, and the lot. Behind him, he can hear Joe rummage through his desk drawer.

“Did you save all these?”

Nicky’s head snaps around to see Joe holding some of the little drawings he left Nicky over the last couple of months. The first time he found one Nicky was confused, but it made him feel so special that he saved every last one of them.

“Yes. They’re great.”

“They’re hardly anything special, Nicky.”

Nicky walks over to Joe, who’s sitting at his desk, and softly takes Joe’s face in his hands as he kneels down.

“They’re amazing and they’re very special because they’re yours and they come from a place of love.”

Nicky gives Joe a quick kiss before he returns to his closet. Nicky quickly finishes off packing his clothes and moves on to his toiletry bag, confirming that he packed a new razor. He tried to grow a beard once and it’s best for everyone that he never tries that again. 

Nicky double checks everything before zipping up his duffle bag and letting himself sink down on his bed next to Joe, who’s drawing again. This time it isn’t the room, but Nicky himself. This should probably feel awkward, but Nicky feels nothing but amazement for how well Joe can draw.

“Wow.”

Joe’s cheeky grin is back on his face. “I’ve got a great model.” 

“You’re an incredible artist.”

“Thank you. That means so much,” Joe says as he gives Nicky a kiss on his cheek. His beard tickles Nicky’s jaw.

“Quynh and Andy are having a little Christmas get together tonight,” Nicky offers. “I was going to stop by to say hi, but if you don’t want to, we can stay here.”

“We can stop by. Knowing them, it’ll be fun.”

Nicky quickly changes out of Joe’s sweater and into a nicer shirt before they head off to the apartment of the two ladies. It isn’t crazy busy, but it’s nice to see many familiar faces there, like Nile and Booker playing cards with Josefin. 

Nicky spots Quynh in the kitchen with Andy right beside her. Andy waves them over and greets them with a hug.

“Joe. Nicky. I’m so glad you made it.”

“I wouldn’t miss it,” Nicky says before hugging Quynh as well. 

“You’re going to have to miss the both of us this Christmas,” he whispers in Quynh’s ear.

“Enjoy it, alright. You’ve got a good one, you know that?”

“I do. I really do,” Nicky finally says before pulling away.

The conversation that follows is mostly an easy one. The soft Christmas music in the background helps a lot. Joe, Andy, and Quynh somehow still end up in a heated argument over something Nicky knows nothing about. He looks around and spots Nile sitting by herself on the couch, the card game obviously ended.

“I’ll be right back,” Nicky mutters, before kissing Joe’s cheek and leaving for Nile. They’ve gotten very close in the short time they’ve known each other.

“Hi. What are you doing here all by yourself,” Nicky asks while he sits down next to her.

“Hi, Nicky. I’m done playing cards and the couch is more comfortable than the dining chairs.”

“Fair enough. Are you doing anything fun for Christmas?”

“Not really. Andy, Quynh, Booker, Josefin, and I are staying here and will try to have our own Merry Little Christmas. How about you? You can’t get to your family either, I think, just like Booker?”

“No, I can’t. I’m not staying though.” Nile raises an eyebrow. “Joe invited me to stay with his family instead.”

“You two seem to be getting pretty close these past few months. Do you want to tell me about it? Is he the one you dreamed of?”

Nicky feels the blood rising to his cheeks, though the moment he looks at Joe, still deep in conversation with Andy and Quynh, he feels calm and fond.

“Does it matter?”

“Well, is everything going well?”

“I don’t know, Nile. I really don’t know. I think so. I hope so. He makes me feel good about being myself and makes me want to be a better version of myself every single day. I guess I hope it’s the case and we can make it work. Relationships take work, each and every one, but I really hope he’s the one.”

“Time will tell, but as long as you’re both willing to keep working on it, hope is never lost.”

“It’s a little bit cliché, but you’ll never know if it’ll all end tomorrow. No matter who or what you believe in, there is only one thing we all know for certain...” Nicky glances at Joe, who flashes him a smile. “That life is now.”

The party starts to slow down around 11, with them all sitting around the coffee table playing One Truth, Two Lies. It’s great, but Joe’s slowly starting to fall asleep against Nicky’s shoulder, and they’ve got a long day of travel ahead of them tomorrow. Nicky carefully wakes Joe and nods at the door when their eyes meet. Joe nods in agreement.

“We’d love to stay,” Nicky says. “But it’s going to be a long day tomorrow.”

Josefin grabs his leg as Nicky tries to get up. “Ah, come on! One more round!” 

“I’m so sorry. We’ll see all of you after the holidays, okay?”

Joe and Nicky say their goodbyes, spending a good 15 minutes on them, before heading to the door.

“ _Buon Natale e Felice Anno Nuovo._ ”

Despite trying to sound upbeat, Joe’s voice shows how tired he is. “Happy holidays!” 

It’s snowing as they walk back to Nicky’s dorm. Joe can hardly strip down to just his shirt and boxers before he collapses on the bed. Nicky takes his time to clean up the final things in the room and check his duffle bag once more before he changes into his pyjamas, sets an alarm, and curls up against Joe’s chest under the blankets. Immediately, Joe wraps his arms around him, like they’ve done this for years. Nicky sighs contently and falls asleep a very happy man. 

\--

Nicky’s alarm is very unwelcome that morning. Sure, it’s the start of an exciting day, but both Nicky and Joe could have gone with a couple more hours of sleep to make up for the sleepless nights they both had the previous week.

“Why do we need to get the early train,” Nicky groans, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

“Because it’s at least a 4 hour train ride, probably more with the snow storms, and we can’t be late for dinner.”

Joe’s still somewhere between sleeping and awake as Nicky turns around in his arms to face him. “Can I get a kiss before we get a move on?”

Joe hums his agreement. The kiss they share is chaste, but enough to get Nicky going. Nicky slowly gets up, though it’s even harder to do so with Joe not letting go.

Nicky softly pats his arm. “I’m just going to take a shower. I’ll be right back.” 

“One more kiss,” Joe asks in a sleepy voice and Nicky can do nothing but give in to his request.

Nicky tries to not take too long showering and getting dressed. He’s not sure how much more packing Joe has to do, but they still have to go to his dorm either way to get his stuff. Nicky puts on something nice, not super fancy but nice enough to meet Joe’s family in. He quickly fixes his hair, puts on some cologne, and grabs the last little bits he’ll need before returning to his dorm. Joe’s dressed when he gets back, sitting at Nicky’s desk drawing something on the other side of the window.

“Do you want to get breakfast on the way to your dorm or grab something at the station?”

Joe turns around while Nicky tries to shove the last things into his duffle bag.

“The station, if that’s alright with you?”

“Of course. Are you ready to go?”

“Are you?”

“ _Si._ All done.”

“Let’s go then.”

The fresh snow from the night before crackles under their shoes, especially since the pavement hasn’t been cleared yet. It’s stunning outside, even though it’s absolutely freezing. Joe and Nicky walk hand in hand through the snow to Joe’s dorm, Nicky’s duffle bag swinging from his other hand.

Luckily Joe’s mostly packed already. He too needs a shower and some clean clothes, but most importantly Noora needs to be packed up for travel. After Joe rushes through his morning routine, Nicky watches him carefully take Noora out of her tank and put her into a small plastic bin with ventilation holes and a sheet of kitchen towel in it.

“I’ve got another tank at home, so this is just the easiest way to transport her,” Joe explains. “Can you unplug everything, please?”

Nicky pulls the plug out of the wall that Joe indicates with a nod. Meanwhile, Joe puts Noora into his coat to keep her warm during their short trip to the station. After one final check of both their duffle bags, it’s time to leave. It’s only a short walk to the bus stop from Joe’s dorm and luckily they don’t have to wait long for the bus to arrive. They arrive at the station with plenty of time to get breakfast before their train arrives, though not enough to eat it on the platform. 

This whole situation fills Nicky’s stomach with butterflies of excitement, though there are also some nerves. “I hope your family will like me,” Nicky says while they settle into their seats. Noora gets a place on the table in front of them so she can warm up. They start their breakfast and Joe sneaks the lizard a tiny bit of his banana, just because he can.

“Of course they’ll like you... and if they don’t... they’ll love you... You have nothing to worry about,” Joe comments in between bites.

“You give me too much credit, Joe.”

“No, Nicky, you don’t give yourself enough. You’re a polite guy with a kind heart and a wish to change the world for the better. What’s not to love?”

That leaves Nicky quiet for a moment. Luckily, the conversation soon shifts to lighter subjects while they finish their breakfast, and on to comfortable silence with Nicky reading and Joe looking out the window and drawing. Four hours is a long time, five even longer, but Nicky doesn’t mind it one bit because he gets to spend it with Joe.

Luleå is a small quiet town, small enough for Joe and Nicky to just walk from the train station to Joe’s house without much of a problem. It’s a stunning little town and Nicky makes a mental note to ask Joe to give him a tour while they’re here. The only downside to going even further north is that it’s even colder than in Umeå, something Nicky had deemed impossible up until now.

They reach an apartment building just outside of the town center within 10 minutes. It’s not like Stockholm or _Genova_ , but Nicky actually likes it more. It feels lived in and alive in the best possible way. Joe opens the door and they make their way up the stairs to the third floor and down the hall to an apartment with a pretty green-blueish door. Before Joe can open it, the door swings open and in the doorway there’s not just one person but Joe’s entire family: his parents, siblings, and what Nicky supposes to be his grandmother. He looks over at Joe, who’s beaming with joy.

“Everyone, this is my boyfriend, Nicky.”

 _Boyfriend._

Nicky’s heart swells at the word as he gets greeted as part of the family. No, he doesn’t know where life will take him, or if this will last. All he knows is that instead of a Christmas alone, he’s spending it with his boyfriend and his unimaginably kind and welcoming family. It’s going to be a very merry Christmas, even if Joe’s family doesn’t celebrate it like he does.

_Life is now._

_Life is good._


End file.
